The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1887-05-25
Tit for Tat.

Ter OF JDe nOuSenOld stood before him
holding the royal stockings, one of
which had great hole in the toe. Now
although the minister presented the
hose as adroitly as possible, in order to
hide that sad defect from the eyes of
the king, and although the king in a
general way thought more of shining
boots than of mended stockings, it so
happened that in the present instance
the hole did catch the royal eye. The
monarch snatched at the stocking, to
the horror of his minister, and plunging
his hand right into it, till his finger with
the signet ring appeared through the
hole at the other end, he said, with a
dolorous sigh:
" 1t is all very well for me to be king,
but l am sadly in want of queen. Now
what should you say if married?"
" Your majesty" said the minister
this is wise and noble thought. !
should myself have ventured to suggest
it but for the certain anticipation that
it could not fail sooner or later to flash
spontaneously upon the royal mind"
That is settled, then" said the king
" But do you think l shall easily find q
suitable queen?"
" Not doubt of it," said the min
lister.
All, but you must remember that l
am not so easily satisfied. If princess
is to please me she must be both lovely
and wise. And then there is special
point / am afraid l shall think much of
You know how l love apple fritters
and there isn't cook in the kingdom
who knows how to make them to my
liking-that is, neither too pale nor yet
too brown, but Just nice and crisp. II
| marry a wife she must certainly know
how to make apple fritters!"
The minister in his heart was dis
mayed, but he recovered himself suf
ficiently to say, with suitable assurance
g. am morally convinced that youl
majesty will readily find princess
who knows all about apple fritters, ant
who, moreover, will be happy to make
them"
Then let us look for her." said the
king; and that very day he set out with
his minister to visit such of the neigh
boring kings as had princesses to give
away, but there were only three roya
maidens sufficiently lovely and wise tC
please the king, and of these none hat
learned how to make apple fritters.
Il do not know much about apple
fritters, unfortunately" said the frs
princess, when the king proffered hi
inquiry, "but l can make nice little
cheese-cakes. Don't you think that vii
do?"
"No,' said the king; 81 have ;
particular liking for apple fritters."
The second princess was not nearly
so obliging, and said, disdainfully
Get along with your nonsense!
never heard of princess being asked
about apple fritters."
But it was the third princess VIII,
proved too much for the king, and sh,
was the loveliest and wisest of tn,
three. She did not even wait for hi
question, but asked him coolly if h
understood beating the kettle-drum
And when he said he did not, she woul'
not listen to a word of his suit. Sh
was sorry, she said, but she had par
ticular fancy for the drum, an,
had quite settled in her mind that sh
would never marry king who was not
proficient upon that instrument.
Thereupon the king drove home witt
his minister, and alighting on his door
step he said, rather meekly, " We mus
hope, then, to get on without queen.
However, king in the long run can
not manage by himself, and when SOM
weeks had passed he sent for his min
lister and told him he had given up tn,
idea of marrying princess who knew
about apple fritters, and he thought b,
might be very happy with the first o
those royal maidens they had visited
" that one who can make cheese cakes,
he said. Go and ask her to come an,
be my queen"
But the minister returned from hi
mission with the disappointing new
that this obliging princess was no longe
to be had. She had since married tn
king of the country where capers grow
"Then 90 and ask the second prin
cess" But this also proved fruitles
mission. The old king had told tn
minister it was too late now, becaus
his daughter had died, else no doub
she might have been found willing.
The king grew thoughtful and con
sidered long. But since ii was plail
he must have a queen, he resolved a
last to send his minister to the thir
princess-perhaps she had changed he
mind. And the minister had to &C
although he felt almost certain it was
useless Grand, his own wife havin
assured him that, as far as her eXpe
rience went, princesses were apt t
keep to their opinions. The kin
awaited the minister's return rattle
anxiously. He remembered about tn
kettle-drum, and thought it veXatious.
But the third princess received tn
minister quite graciously, saying it wa
true she had set her heart on marryin
king who could beat the kettle-drum
But ideals did not realize, and since tn
king otherwise seemed an honest sol
of man she would waive the point an
accept him as her husband.
Thereupon the minister dashed bac
at full speed of his horses. The kin
embraced him and said he should hav
all the stars and garters of the king
dom. From every window in the pa
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